Just when we were about to give up, Iraq is moving forward with a new government:
Iraq’s president formally designated Shiite politician Jawad al-Maliki to form a new government Saturday, starting a process aimed at healing ethnic and religious wounds and pulling the nation out of insurgency and sectarian strife.
ADVERTISEMENTThe move ends months of political deadlock among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds that threatened to drag the nation into civil war. Al-Maliki has 30 days to present his Cabinet to parliament for approval.
Iraq the Model live-blogged the event.
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6 Comments
1. tim maguire:It does seem that any major advance in Iraq must be preceeded by the faint of heart in the west giving up.
Apr 22, 2006 - 9:52 am 2. tim maguire:Not that I consider Roger faint of heart. He hasn’t given up yet. I’m thinking of those who lack the courage of their convictions, who can talk a good game before hand (and maybe even congratulate themselves afterwards), but lose their nerve during the rough going that even they knew would come.
Apr 22, 2006 - 9:54 am 3. David Thomson:I have long been fairly confident concerning Iraq? The odds are on their side. Am I wearing rose colored glasses? Nope, Iíve just seen enough news clips of Iraqis shopping for new TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, and other such items. The majority of these people seem to be motivated primarily by secular concerns. Thatís really all you need to know. Good old “materialism” works every time.
Apr 22, 2006 - 1:36 pm 4. David Thomson:“I have long been fairly confident concerning Iraq?”
Opps, there should be no question mark after this sentence.
Another thing: the war in Iraq against the terrorists has been over for a long time. We have been concerned recently about internal divisions within the country. This is an important distinction.
Apr 22, 2006 - 2:16 pm 5. Macker:I wonder if the Mullahs next door are mutting out loud, “ALLAH damn it!” with this latest development.
Apr 22, 2006 - 2:24 pm 6. ShoreMark:You got that right Tim. Every time the “formerly faithful” are about to (and in some cases already have) drive their flat-tired tricycles off the parallel bars, things improve.
Is it too much to wish for that they won’t go wobbly again before the next milestone? Probably.
Apr 22, 2006 - 4:50 pm